President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed officials to implement a comprehensive programme to remove floods debris and waste from areas affected by floods and landslides. 

He made this order at a meeting on waste management at the Presidential Secretariat this morning.

President Sirisena had also inquired of the officials on the progress of the waste management programmes in Colombo and the suburbs and had pointed out the importance of the private and public sectors working closely together.

At the meeting, the President also discussed with officials the manner in which they would implement the Gazette notification relating to minimising the use of plastic and polythene.

The President had pointed out the necessity of executing programmes to train the officials on waste separation and to apprise the public about it.

Attention was drawn to launch a special program to apprise the school children through the Ministry of Education and the President further instructed the Secretary, Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government to hold seminars to educate the Assistant Commissioners of Local Government and Secretaries of Local Government institutions regarding the waste management.

Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Faizer Mustapha, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Sagala Rathnayake, S. M. Marikkar, M.P., public officials including Ministry Secretaries, Senior Security officers including the Inspector General of Police participated at this meeting.